Triad Braces For Its First Taste Of Winter Weather This Season

Greensboro, NC -- A strong storm system moved through North Carolina on Sunday, bringing the Triad its first bout of winter weather this season.

The same storm system which brought heavy rain and severe weather to the Gulf states will move through the Southeast Sunday and introduce scattered showers to the Triad through early Sunday afternoon, before colder air moves in from the north.

Temperatures Sunday began in the middle 40s, and steadily dropped through the morning. By early afternoon, scattered showers will mix with sleet and an occasional snow flake as temperatures hover in the middle 30s.

Sleet and snow already began to fall in many communities along the North Carolina Virginia border Sunday morning. From Surry to Rockingham County, WFMY News 2 received many reports of sleet and sporadic snow showers.

In addition to the transition to a wintry mix, the winds will increase. Wind speeds will be from 10-15 mph with gusts near 30 mph at times.

The center of the storm system will shift off the North Carolina coast and pull even colder air down from the northeast Sunday evening. The colder air will phase the precipitation from a wintry mix over to all snow through midnight.

The transition to all snow will occur from northwest to southeast. Scattered snow showers will be likely across the northern half of the Triad by 8 pm and continue through midnight.

Ground temperatures are relatively mild and will be fairly efficient at melting any light wintry precipitation that falls. Periods of heavier winter precipitation will manage to overcome the relatively warm surface temperatures and a begin to accumulate.

Total daytime accumulation of sleet/snow will likely not be any more than a half-inch. Snow accumulations will be more likely after sunset Sunday night as 1-3 inches of snow will be possible across the Triad by just after midnight. Higher snow accumulations are expected over the foothills and along the Virginia and North Carolina border.